Caught Up in You
As a reading fanatic, there are a few items on my shortlist that make me geek out over books. That list includes, but is not limited to: being surprised with a signed copy of a book, no wait time for a book you’ve wanted to read on your Kindle, and getting to go to a talk hosted by your favorite author. I can finally add another experience to my list that makes me a total reading nerd, getting an ARC copy of a book.
For those of you that aren't into reading, an ARC stands for “advanced reader copy”. These copies are often given out by authors to indie bookstores and influencers to help promote their books before they hit the shelves. Imagine how excited I was to find out I had been selected for an advanced reader copy of Lauren Morrill’s second installment to her Cardinal Springs series.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading and creating a recipe for Lauren’s first book in the series, More Than A Feeling. Fortunately, we did get an update about Grace and Decker’s relationship in the background of this book. However, the front runners of this novel included the boy next door and the girl behind the bar.
Owen McBride has been Cardinal’s Springs golden boy ever since he wore his letterman jacket in high school. It doesn’t help that he is the beloved pediatrician in town. Meanwhile, Wyatt Hart couldn’t be any more different. Her tattoos and band tees tend to go along with the job, and when she’s not serving at the bar she tries to keep a low profile with her family. As much as she wants to stay away from Owen, it’s hard to avoid him when he keeps showing up everywhere she goes. Their undeniable chemistry must ultimately make them face if they are in a relationship, even if Wyatt is wholeheartedly “not a relationship girl”.
I once again flew through this book and read it in one day. I love the callbacks to the previous novel, like mentioning Crimson n’ Cream muffins and teasing us with who the next couple will be in the third book. Cardinal Springs continues to be an adorable small town and was giving me major Stars Hollow vibes with a themed dance marathon scene. I also really appreciate how the author goes deeper than the outward facade of the characters. All I can say is we love a man who admits he needs to go to therapy. I don’t want to give too much away, but if you love cayenne level spicy romance books between a black cat and golden retriever you need to buy this book.
Of course I couldn’t complete a new book without an accompanying recipe. Unlike the last novel where I went back and forth on which recipe to make, as soon as I read the detailed descriptions of a charcuterie board in a scene I knew I immediately wanted to recreate it. The ingredients were pretty straightforward: salami, prosciutto, gruyere, brie, raspberries, dried apricots, wasabi peas, almonds, dark chocolate covered golden raisins, cracker selection, circus peanuts, and a warm crusty baguette with wine. However, I decided to challenge myself and only pick up ingredients at Aldi.
I was able to stick to the menu pretty well and only had a few substitutions. I was shocked to find out that Aldi was out of brie, so I ended up picking up some blue cheese. Controversial, I know, but I do love blue cheese. There were also not any wasabi peas, but I was able to find wasabi flavored almonds which ended up having quite the kick. I personally have never seen dark chocolate covered golden raisins before, but it was pretty easy to secure golden raisins and make a homemade version. Finally, the circus peanuts. I didn’t think I would get lucky finding those in the “fun aisle” at Aldi, but I was able to secure some chewy sweets with a similar texture. Overall, the replacement items ended up working and the board tied together nicely by adding some juicy pineapple.
Caught Up in You is available on February 4th, so set a reminder to get your copy in time for Valentine’s Day!
